warlock builds

[Stix]

i've been told that warlocks are extremely versatile, but after looking through the Complete arcane they seem to really have only two or three long term builds.

i can see a blaster from the shadows (darkness, devils sight, eldrich spear/chain/doom, fell flight, hungry darkness) that sort of thing and just blast away with that unlimited eldritch blast.

perhaps melee (cone, doom, chain, hideous blow, voidsense, various other blast enhancers) and a big sword.

with as many people as there are telling me how versatile this class is i've gotta be missing something. help me out what other builds do you guys know?

[AslanCross]

A UMD Build would be the most versatile since you can actually use spells from ANY caster class. Once you get your UMD modifier to +10 (easily achievable by the time you get Deceive Item) you can easily reach the wand activation DC. The UMD build will also most likely double as a crafting build, although you can't really do that until you get Imbue Item at Lv 12.

[Zaydos]

Personally I'm rather fond of Eldritch Glaive (Dragon Magic) or Fell Flight with Walk Unseen (I'm flying and I start every encounter invisible). That with max ranks in UMD so you can pick up wands if you want. I also throw in See the Unseen just in case the DM keeps throwing invisible foes at you. Then again I've only played a warlock as a long term character in 1 campaign (he was introduced when there weren't that many people as a plot hook character, the campaign started to derail and I mentioned writing him out and over half the party jumped down my throat at that) and only had 1 PC play a warlock and they both went: defense and invisibility I am unkillable and hit you every round. One was 4-8th level and the other played 12-20th pure warlock and never had any trouble being useful.

I've heard they're versatile but this is the only build I know and it boils down to: Invisibility + Eldritch Blast go. Fun though.

[taltamir]

A UMD Build would be the most versatile since you can actually use spells from ANY caster class. Once you get your UMD modifier to +10 (easily achievable by the time you get Deceive Item) you can easily reach the wand activation DC. The UMD build will also most likely double as a crafting build, although you can't really do that until you get Imbue Item at Lv 12.

there are quite a lot of classes that have UMD... having UMD hardly counts for making the CLASS versatile...
Besides, a one level dip into any UMD giving class would mean you can have a fighter19/UMD giver 1 and be just as "versatile" as a level 20 warlock

[gorfnab]

Well, here is a build that is a little evil and slightly cheesy
Warlock 4/ Binder 1/ Ur-Priest 2/ Eldritch Disciple 10/ Hellfire Warlock 3
Let's see here: 8d6 eldritch blast +6d6 hellfire +Naberius vestige to offset hellfire con damage, 9th level divine spells, 1 dark invocation. You'll have to go with the "worshiping" a dead god variant for the Ur-Priest for this to work mixes well though with the binder scheme of things though, or just see if your DM will let you go with the flow of the stealing power and abilities from the gods that flavors the Ur-Priest. For melee you got Divine Power +Eldritch Glaive, for range well if you can get Flyby Attack you're pretty much set. The downside of this build though is that it is MAD.

[oxinabox]

there are quite a lot of classes that have UMD... having UMD hardly counts for making the CLASS versatile...
Besides, a one level dip into any UMD giving class would mean you can have a fighter19/UMD giver 1 and be just as "versatile" as a level 20 warlock

Warlock can always take 10 on UMD (after a certain lvl), that means with 10 in UMD you auto success on every wand.
WHich you need if you want casting flexibity.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Well, here is a build that is a little evil and slightly cheesy
Warlock 4/ Binder 1/ Ur-Priest 2/ Eldritch Disciple 10/ Hellfire Warlock 3
Let's see here: 8d6 eldritch blast +6d6 hellfire +Naberius vestige to offset hellfire con damage, 9th level divine spells, 1 dark invocation. You'll have to go with the "worshiping" a dead god variant for the Ur-Priest for this to work mixes well though with the binder scheme of things though, or just see if your DM will let you go with the flow of the stealing power and abilities from the gods that flavors the Ur-Priest. For melee you got Divine Power +Eldritch Glaive, for range well if you can get Flyby Attack you're pretty much set. The downside of this build though is that it is MAD.
Not MAD. Just focus on Con and Wis. Take the feat Zen Archery and you're pretty much set.

[woodenbandman]

I've a natural bias against Warlocks because the resident jerkhole of our group played them and quite poorly at that.

[Quirinus_Obsidian]

Well, here is a build that is a little evil and slightly cheesy
Warlock 4/ Binder 1/ Ur-Priest 2/ Eldritch Disciple 10/ Hellfire Warlock 3
Let's see here: 8d6 eldritch blast +6d6 hellfire +Naberius vestige to offset hellfire con damage, 9th level divine spells, 1 dark invocation. You'll have to go with the "worshiping" a dead god variant for the Ur-Priest for this to work mixes well though with the binder scheme of things though, or just see if your DM will let you go with the flow of the stealing power and abilities from the gods that flavors the Ur-Priest. For melee you got Divine Power +Eldritch Glaive, for range well if you can get Flyby Attack you're pretty much set. The downside of this build though is that it is MAD.

I am not that familiar with Ur priest. How does one get 9th level divine spells in this build? My Warlock is effectively the same thing minus Ur priest and + Devil bloodline. Technically, Mephistopheles is a dead God in my campaign world :smallwink:

[The Rose Dragon]

Ur-Priest gives all 9 levels of spells over the course of a 10-level PrC. Since Eldritch Disciple increases its spellcasting process, you get 9th level spells.